1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a control panel assembly for a washing machine, which provides an improved structure enabling a knob smoothly to rotate without making noise.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a washing machine is an apparatus for eliminating dirt or filth attached to a laundry using reaction between water and detergent.
Such a washing machine is classified into a pulsator type, an agitator type, and a drum type. The agitator type washing machine rotates an agitator protruding from a bottom center of a tub in forward and reverse directions to perform washing. The pulsator type washing machine rotates a disc-type pulsator on a bottom of a tub in forward and reverse directions to perform washing using a frictional force between a generated current and a laundry. And, the rum type washing machine rotates a drum holding water, detergent, and laundry at low speed to perform washing. In this case, a plurality of tumbling ribs protrude from an inside of the tub.
Meanwhile, a control panel assembly is provided on a front or top side of the washing machine so that a user manipulates the washing machine. Such a control panel assembly consists of a board having switch and electric parts mounted thereon, a panel covering the board, and a knob connected to the switch. In this case, the knob penetrates the panel to be exposed on a top of the panel. And, a flange is provided at a circumference of a lower end of the knob. The flange is brought contact with a backside of the panel to prevent the knob from being separated.
However, when the user turns the knob to operate the washing machine, a shaft of the switch is simultaneously turned to output a control signal to a control unit (not shown in the drawing). In this case, the knob is turned while an entire one surface of the flange is contacted in plane with the backside of the panel. Hence, a contact area between the panel and the flange of the knob is considerably large to interrupt the rotation of the knob and to make a big frictional noise.